Century Mark Opener - Mustangs cruise to second GPAC triumph

SIOUX CITY, IOWA – Going to your bench in a Great Plains Athletic Conference home opener is a rare luxury.

It was one, though, that was afforded head coach Jamie Sale and Morningside College Saturday, Nov. 21.

The Mustangs, moving to 4-1 overall and 2-0 in the league, overwhelmed visiting Mount Marty University from the opening tip. Sale's squad scored 33 of the first 41 points and didn't look back, building as large as a 64-point lead en route to a 107-52 victory, the most points scored in a game for the program since 2017.

Sixteen Maroon-clad players saw time over the course of the contest. Senior guard Sierra Mitchell (SR/Pleasant Hill, Iowa) (Pleasant Hill, Iowa), in just 19 minutes, had an evening to remember. She drained six three-pointers, was 10 of 15 from the field, and dished out four assists during a 28-point performance. Junior forward Sophia Peppers (JR/Exira, Iowa) (Exira, Iowa) backed that up with a near-perfect shooting line, going eight of eight from the field, three of three from beyond the arc, and missing just one free throw to finish with 21 points. Sophomore forward Sadie Roth (SO/Sioux Falls, SD) (Sioux Falls, S.D.) came off the bench with 10 points, four rebounds, a blocked shot, and a steal. Fellow underclasswoman post player Chloe Lofstrom (FR/Armstrong, Iowa) (Armstrong, Iowa) was just two points and a rebound away from collecting a double-double. She tallied eight points and nine boards.

Morningside was red hot in all shooting categories. They hit 60.9 percent from the field (39 of 64), 62.5 percent from outside the arc (15 of 24), and 77.8 percent from the free-throw line (14 of 18) while out-rebounding the Lancers 45-20.

The Mustangs, winners of three straight, resume a set of three consecutive home games Tuesday, Nov. 24. Northwestern College visits for a 6 p.m. start.